By Bashir Aliyu
Since our transition to democracy over 24 years ago, Nigeria has been recording dramatic economic growth and peaceful handover of power thanks partly to our patriotic policymakers who have realized there is no better system of governance than democracy. This widely-held belief has enabled Nigeria to singlehandedly win wars against various terrorist organizations that threatened the territorial integrity of our country. Despite our poor human rights records, Nigeria has been able to win the war against terror, virtually alone without game-changing support from any foreign power. I can go on.
As our democracy keeps evolving and getting stronger, allowing our neighboring countries to slide into anarchy, potentially threatening our national security is a redline Nigeria must not allow to be crossed. A military coup is fast diminishing in Africa, and Nigeria, being the most populous and largest economy on the continent, must wake up to the realization that stability in the Sahel region is vital to the stability of Nigeria as well.
The anger across the Sahel is real because France which still wields almost total control over most of its colonies has virtually left them in the lurch. The Islamic insurgents are still very active, and the countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and now Nigeria all used to rely on the West for military aid to fight off the scourge of these terrorists. But it is noteworthy that despite its heavy engagement in Africa, France which views itself as a guarantor of stability in French-speaking countries has spent, in Africa, just a fraction of the military aid it has been spending to bolster the Ukrainian army in its ongoing war against Russia. France is simply not willing to do more to help its ex-colonies counter growing threats being posed by various terrorist cells. This has allowed the Russians to capitalize on the West’s diminishing interests in Africa to instigate further chaos.
On the other hand, the Russians should not be trusted as a savior because the country throughout its history is notorious for prioritizing the interests, and activities of the Russian mercenary group, Wagner PMC in Central African Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso are laced with the allegations of human rights violations, plundering the mineral resources of the countries that host them, and empowering despots to rule with iron fists by crushing dissents.
None of the foreign powers are truly committed to helping Africa in its quest for stability and sustainable democracies because their interests by far outweigh any sympathy for the continent. In order to mitigate risks to our national security, Nigeria must step in by engaging proactively with our neighbours, and using our diplomatic muscles as a giant of Africa to ensure our neighbours do not keep sliding towards chaos and precipice. Nigeria must help restore normalcy to the Sahel, and our engagement with countries should be contingent upon their commitment to democratic values.
Bashir Aliyu writes from the Department of African Languages and Cultures, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
